The Company
by DigiFox86
Summary: The hardbitten men of the Company take their pay and do what they must do, but what happens when a female is thrown into the mix of all men? Where a creature of the dark falls in love with a human...
1. Prelude

Prelude

Being young and in training to become a soldier or just being a young solider wasn't really that rare. The Company was a place where men could start a new life, to sort of speak. Captain was the head of the Company's regiment and one of the most respected men. He made sure that any man that enlisted into the Company had dealt with any loose ends before becoming part of the… 'family'.

Many men saw the Company as a fresh start, even away to right old wrongs. Therefore no man that joined knew the true names of his comrades, such was the way of the Company. Your true name connects you to your pass so therefore, it was abandoned and you were given a new name. These new names that the men adopted described them one way or another.

Like Token, one of the Company's wizards. He is not only a ferrous gambler, but the wounds he inflicts on his enemies is what one would call a trade mark. Wizards were thought to bring death and destruction; the Company itself had a well renowned reputation as such as well. The Company's wizards however played more tricks with light hearted sorcery on each other then anything else.

… Then there's me, but I'm not a wizard…

Captain says there's no place for a women in war, but when it came to me there wasn't much of a choice. Captain decided to make the exception in my case; every military operation needed a person of medical intelligence. On the battle field, I've got mad skill with my medical kit and a sword, but… I get scared easily.

Captain made sure that no one knew about me being female. He said cause he's lose the respect of his men; they'd think he went crazy. But I knew that wasn't it, some of the men in the Company have problems… abusing women. Needless to say every one in the Company had some sort of record, wither it was abusing women lustfully or pillaging towns.

Spider, one of the Company's wizards, sort of became my guardian. I was no more then thirteen when I came to the Company. It was Spider who demanded he be the one to watch over me. Spider was highly regarded and he knew no one would mess with me if he was in charge.

Being female was dangerous enough, so it had to be kept a secret.

Spider seems to be the only one in the Company who knows the old language of the forgotten time. Spider went through loads of manuscripts and translates them, in hopes it will give us a heads up on out enemy's activities. It was from one of the most ancient of texts that he found the name Rin. Spider didn't tell me the meaning of it and truthfully I didn't bother to ask. I just accepted the name and continued my training.

Years went by and it become harder for me as a women to remain a secret

Spider focused on my skills of medical use and of course my sword. I had a little healer's blood in me so Spider taught me a little magic. A small healing spell, a small shield, and a small illusion of a deadly creature. I was no wizard and he knew that, he just taught me enough to get by and enough that my small amount of magic would allow.

Many of the old comrades knew of my 'secret', but didn't really seem to care. Captain knew them well, I had saved their lives more then once and they'd hate to admit it.

By now some of the old ones took a shine to me and smacked the ones around that didn't agree with a women in the Company.

There was one however my own age, but always seemed to make me extremely uncomfortable. Who happen to be my first patient every morning and this morning was no different. He complained of how god awful sick he was and insisted I was the only cure. I rolled my eyes as Spider once again had to pry Garit from my side.

DigiFox86 here, I hope that you like the begining of this story, it is slightly based on the trilage of 'the black company' so Discalmer for the bases of the story I guess. It was orginal done in a guys prospective with like no romance what so ever so I added alot of different stuff, really the Disclaimer is just for the simple fact that I don't feel like getting into trouble with some of the phrases and word useage and stuff.


	2. The Beginning

Chapter One: The Beginning

There were extraordinary wonders, usually a highly talented child proclaimed to save the world and there were omens enough, Spider says, We have only ourselves to blame for misinterpreting them.

Spider's caring nature for me in no way handicapped his marvelous hindsight like some believed.

Lighting from a clear blue sky, only brought upon by the most evil of presents. The most violent of storms even to circulate in one place. The storm raged at the top of GoNome Hill. A single bolt touched the ground with the power of ages, striking the bronze metal sealing the tomb of the ankouze, demolishing half the spell of confinement.

It rained fire.

Statues wept blood.

Priests and elders at several temples reported sacrificial victims without hearts or lives and other internal organs.

One victim escaped after it's spleen was opened and was not recaptured. For seven evenings straight, ten ravens circled the bastion. The one evicted the grand falcon, which lived a top the Rose Tower.

Astrologers refused readings, fearing for their merger lives. A mad man wondered the streets proclaiming Armageddon. At the bastion, the falcon not only departed, the ivy and roses on the outer ramparts withered and gave way to a black creeping vine that looked more like a fungus then a plant.

Fools were taking everything as bad omens, that death was upon us all.

Spider took pity on them cause of their immense stupidity. Spider says that in the Jewel Cities chaos broke out, but then again only a fool would be surprised by anything found creeping it's night streets.

I had every shutter wide open, hoping for a breath off the harbor. But no breeze came, not even the cobwebs stirred.

I wiped my face in frustration and looked at my third patient already this morning.

"Here already? Again, Tom?"

He grinned feebly. His face was god awful pale.

"Rin, It's my stomach."

His face twisted. I checked the duty roster and watch schedule. Nothing there he would want to avoid.

"Really Rin, it's bad, really."

I assumed my professional personae; his skin was clammy, despite the heat.

"Eaten outside the commissary lately, Tom?"

"Yeah, four, fives times."

"Uhm." I mixed a nasty herbal concoction.

"Drink this down, all of it now."

His whole face wrinkled at the first taste.

"Look Rin, I…"

The smell of the stuff even made me feel sick, "Drink it Tom. Two men died before I came up with that. Then Len took it and lived."

Word was out about that. Swallowing hard, he drank it.

"You mean, it's poison? The damned Coats slipped me something?"

"Well you take it easy! You'll be fine. Yeah, it looks that way."

I'd had to open up Cruise and Bobby to learn the truth. It was a subtle poison.

"Get over on that damn cot now so the breeze can hit you- if the bastard ever comes. And lie still. Let the stuff work." I settled him down.

I collected a chart tacked onto a board and a quill.

"Tell me, what did you eat outside?"

I had done the same with Len and Bobby & Cruise before they died. I was positive the poison had come from somewhere nearby. Tom produced one that matched.

"Bingo! Now we've got 'em!"

"Who?"

He was ready to go settle up himself.

"You rest. I'll see the Captain."

I gentle rubbed his shoulders, "Ok?"

I took the long route, along the Trekin's Wall, which overlooks the harbor. Half way over I paused, and looked over the sea. The upper air was still, heavy, and hazy. But down on the water the air was in motion. There was always a breeze out around the Island, though it avoided the shore. It could be so beautiful, yet so dangerous. I gave a heavy sigh and walked on.

Another summer in service to the Syndic of Beryn, sweating and grimy, thanklessly shielding him from political rivals and his undisciplined native troops.

Another summer busting our butts for Tom's reward. The pay was good, but not in coin for the soul.

Captain says our fore brethren would be embarrassed to see us so diminished, Beryn is ancient and intriguing, its history is a bottomless well filled with murky water. I amused myself plummeting in its depths, trying to isolate fact from fiction, legend, and myth. No easy task, for the city's earlier historians wrote to please the powers of their day.

The most fascinating period, for me, is the ancient kingdom, which had the least documentation. It was ten, in the reign of Clete, that the ankouze came, were over come after a century of terror and were confided in their dark tomb a top the GoNome Hill.

Echoes of that terror persist in ankouze and matronly admonitions to unruly children. No one recalls what the ankouze were, now.

A breeze startled me. I faced the harbor. A ship was rounding the Island, a great lumbering beast. The ship's size impressed me more than did its flashy sail. The four minor wizards of the Company could easily match that showmanship.

I recalled my mission. I knocked on the Captain's door. He did not respond. I grumbled and invited myself inside, found him snoring in his big wooden chair at his desk.

"Yo!" I hollered. "Fire! Day lights a wastin'."

The Captain was cool. He didn't even crack an eyelid or smile.

"You're over stepping due bounders, Rin. When are you going to learn to go through channels?"

I rolled my eyes, channels meant bug the Lieutenant first. Don't interrupt his nap unless the Coats were storming the bastion. I explained about Tom and my chart, and grinned as he swung his feet off the desk.

"Sounds like work for Blessing."

His voice had a hard edge. The Company don't suffer attacks upon it's men.

Blessing was out nastiest platoon leader. He thought a dozen men would suffice, but let Silent and me tag along.

I could patch wounded. Silent would be useful if the Coats wanted to play rough.

Silent was lugging a ratty looking sack along, I cocked my brow, "What the hell you up to?"

He just grinned. Silent he is and silent he stays. When we reached the tavern a wave of daggers met us at the door. Silent just grinned at me, pushed me out of the tavern and closed the door. I gave out a large sigh, stuck doing the guarding once again. I stood at the close door of the tavern with a beautifully crafted sword that ironically Silent forged himself.

I shook my head, Silent was having fun, I could hear sharp screams of pain coming from the talent. Blood pooled out through the bottom crack of the door. Turns out Silent had a giant hornet's nets from the dark part of the forest in the large ratty sack.

We took more prisoners then expected. Blessings eyes twinkled with anticipation.

"Job well done men."

We had a good hall, some of the prisoners ere some of the best-known Coats. We moved out, Blessing was almost giddy thinking out the size of the reward.

Suddenly we stopped; Silent and I looked a head. There was an army of hundred heavily armed men. They looked tougher then anyone in Beryn… but us. At the head of this semi flashy display rode a dark figure on a monstrous black stallion. I was disturbed; the rider sent an odd chill through me. Curiosity and fear swept through me like a plague. I felt the dead glare of the rider sweep over me with out my notice. Silent met stare for stare, showing no fear, and no chance of backing down. Somehow Silent seemed diminished, touching something deep inside of him and the mysterious rider continued on.

As we moved on, a strong riot broke out, was the worst riot I had ever seen and in my memory, I had seen quit a lot. Captain ordered the Company to the Bastion.

"Let it run it's course," he said roughly, "Out commission doesn't require us to commit suicide."

His disposition had gone beyond sour to disgust.

Beryn had ground our spirits down, but left none so disillusioned as the Captain. Someone made a crake about us falling on our own swords.

"Seems to be what the Syndic expects."

The third night I stood a watch on Trekin's Wall, a fool of a volunteer sentinel. Beneath the carping stars, the city was strangely quiet. I was too tired to be anxious.

Perump came be.

"What are you doing out here, Rin?"

I shrugged me shoulders, "Filling in."

"Get some rest, you look terrible."

I sniffed, "Like you look any better."

Choosing to ignore my comment, he continued, "How's Blessing?"

I sighed; the dumb ass got his eye cutout and had other gruesome injuries.

"Not out of the woods yet."

I had little hope for him really. I jerked my head, "You know anything about that out there?" I pointed.

An isolated scream echoed in the distance. It had a quality, which set it apart from the other screams that recently fill the night air. The others where screams of pain, rage, and fear. This one was one something much darker, sinister… evil.

He hemmed and mumbled in the way he and his brother, Toad have.

If you don't know they won't tell you, figure it's a secret worth keeping. Wizards! I could feel him give me a sideways glance.

"There's a rumor that the seals on the tomb of the ankouze is broken…"

"Uh? Those things are loose?"

"The Syndic thinks so. The Captain don't take it seriously though."

I didn't either, but Perump looked concerned. He and Toad have been with the Company along time. They've seen much of its decline; they were here when Spider found me. Perump shrugged in frustration.

"Get some rest, Rin. Don't kill yourself. Won't make a bit of difference in the end."

I shook my head; he was too lost in he's own mind to know what he really was saying. I turned back to the fires and lights, he was way down. My eyelids kept getting heavy, my vision clouding. Perump was right. I needed sleep.

From the darkness came another of those strange, hopeless cries, but this one… it was closer.


	3. The Ankouzes Tomb

Chapter 2: The Ankouzes Tomb

"Get up. Rin!" The Lieutenant was not gentle and much of an ass.

"Captain wants you in the officers' mess."

I groaned. I cursed. I proclaimed a curse of the worse death. An idiotic grin spread over his face, pinched the nerve in my elbow, rolled me onto the floor.

"I'm up already!", I groaned and felt around fro my boots.

"What the hell is the reason for waking me up so god-damn early?", I gritted my teeth, he was gone, of course.

The officers and sergeants were all there.

"Will Blessing pull through, Rin?" the Captain asked.

"I don't think so, but I've seen bigger miracles."

The Captain went on about our strange 'visitors' the other day.

"But the Syndic is being stubborn. He's still upset about the conquest of Pearl. I suggested he be more flexible," the Captain continued explaining what's happened.

Gabby snorted, "We should refuse if he tells us to fight those northerners?"

"Possibly. Fighting a sorcerer could mean our annihilation."

Wham! The mess door slammed open. I backed up closer to the wall as the small, pudgy man blew inside. Captain jumped up and clicked his heels, "Syndic."

As always he had to make a big show. He viscously slammed his fists on the tabletop several times.

"You! You ordered your men to with draw! I'm not paying you to cringe like dogs under its master's boot."

"You're not paying us to become martyrs, either," the Captain said, reasoning.

"We're not the police, maintaining order is not _our_ job."

Like everyone else, the Syndic was frustrated, tired, scared, and emotionally frayed.

"Be reasonable," the Captain suggested, but almost a plea. "Beryn has passed the point of no return. The streets are ruled by chaos, the cure is now the disease."

I liked that; I had begun to hate Beryn.

The Syndic shrank into himself, "Then there's the matter of the ankouze. And the raven from the north, waiting off the Island."

Perump came our of a half sleep, "Off the Island?"

"Just waiting for me."

"Interesting." The little wizard lapsed into semi-slumber again.

I produced a copy of our agreement as Captain and Syndic bickered about the terms. He fussed over a lot of meaningless stuff, wanting to throw his weight around.

Token started snoring, making it harder for me to not even giggle at the display before me. Captain soon dismissed us, resumed arguing with our employer.

I guessed about seven hours passed as I slept, then Perump came in and woke me. I looked around as a dozen others joined us, not realizing what was happening.

"We're going to look at the tomb," Perump said.

"What?" I wasn't fully awake and everything caught me off guard as my doziness slowly wore off.

"We're going to GoNome Hill to take a look at the ankouze tomb."

"Wo, now wait a minute…"

"Scared? I always thought you were Rin."

"Grr, What're you talkin' about?"

"Don't worry. You'll have three top wizards along, with nothing to do, but baby-sit your ass. Toad would go too, but the Captain wants him to stay on guard."

"Why are _we_ going?"

"To find our if vampires and werewolf's are real."

"Neat trick."

The ankouze threat has done what no force of arms could, stop the riots. Perump nodded, dragging fingers across his little drum thus the name.

I wrinkled my nose in frustration as we came upon a dog mournfully howling his fallen master.

"The price of order," I muttered, the dog won't budge either.

"The cost of chaos," Perump countered, and thumped on his drum, "Not quit the same thing, Rin."

We reached the tomb; it looked as were told by rumors and legends. It was very, very old, and where the lightning-blast could clearly be seemed. On think oak door had once held strong was not in toothpicks and fragments laying scattered for a dozen yards.

Silent pulled me behind him, as we got closer. Thought it was kind of funny, if I went somewhere Silent wasn't far behind. Course usually Spider wasn't either seeing as how he is my guardian and all. Token, Spider, and Perump put their heads together. Token and Spider then took stations flanking the door, a few steps back.

Perump faced it head on. Perump was doing his thing again, flinging his arms up oddly, like a parody of a martial artist, "How about you fools open the door?" he growled.

"Idiots. I had to bring idiots." Wham-wham on the drum, "Standing around with fingers up their nose."

Silent and I growled at Perump, he was sometimes very pompous, we grabbed the ruined door.

It fell easily. Perump being the smartass, he rapped his drum, let out a battle cry, and jumped inside. Token bounced inside, Spider moved up behind him in a fast glide.

Inside Perump let out a high-pitched girly scream and started sneezing. He stumbled out, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, eyes watering.

He went gray, "Wasn't a trick." He said sounding like a bad cold.

"What do you mean?" I demanded. He jerked his head towards the tomb. Spider and Token came out sneezing. I slid to the doorway with Silent close behind and peeked inside. I couldn't see anything; dust was as thick as the trees in the neighboring forest. My eyes adjusted as we stepped inside.

There were bones everywhere. Bones in stacks and heaps, bones sorted neatly by the insane. Strange bones they were, similar to those of a man, but to my medical knowledge of weird proportions.

There must have been sixty bodies originally. They really did pack them in way back then. Ankouze for sure… Beryn buries its villain's uncremated.

I shifted, there were fresh corpses too. Before I started sneezing, screwing up my vision I counter eight dead soldiers.

I dragged a body outside, let go, stubbed backwards, it was sick. Silent caught me from flying back too far. I smiled faintly at him as he helped me regain control, I turned back to examine my prize.

The others stood around looking ill, I felt a little relieved that I wasn't the only one.

"No phantom did that," Token said.

Perump nodded vigorously in agreement. More shaken than the scene called for, I thought. Spider got on with business, conjuring a small breeze and had it sweep it thought the tomb. Silent stepped closer to me as I shifted, the smell of death.

"You okay?" I asked Perump.

He looked at my medical kit and waved me off.

"Just remembering. I'll be okay."

I shifted again, damn, I felt someone's eyes boring into me, but couldn't see anything. Silent moved closer for comfort.

"Remembering?"

Perump tilted his head, "Yeah, we were boys, Toad and me. We had just been sold to become apprentices of Martigan. A messenger came from a village back in the hills."

He bent down beside the dead soldier, "The wounds are identical."

I tried not shake, but I was scared. Nothing human killed that way, but looking at the wounds they seemed calculated. The damage seemed deliberate, the work of a malign intelligence. That made it more terrible.

I knelt down and began my examination. Spider and Token eased back into the tomb. I swallowed hard, "NO bleeding."

Perump shifted uneasily, "It takes the blood."

Spider dragged out another mangled corpse.

"And the organs when it has time."

The second body had been split from groin to gullet. The heart was missing. Spider went back inside, Token came out shaking his head.

"Well?" Perump demanded.

"I wish it was a prank like me first thought… but this… it's the real thing."

I felt sick, Silent knelt down beside me, steadying my sway.

"There were sixty nine of them sealed up in there. They are each other. This is most likely the last one left."

Perump jumped. I looked at him, "What's wrong?"

"That means this thing is the cunningest, nastiest, cruelest, and craziest of the whole lot!"

I felt really uneasy, "Vampires? In this day and age?"

Perump sorta leaned, "Well… not strictly vampires. It's like… umm… a werewolf sort of. Walks on two legs by day and four by night."

I stiffened, the peasants around my home village tell such tales, but this was one I never heard of. Silent helped me up.

"They're from the far south. The jungle," He stared out into the sea. "They've got to be buried alive."

Spider deposited another corpse. Heart-eating, Blood-draining Ankouzes. Ancient darkness-wise, filled with a millennium of hatred and hunger. The stuff nightmares are made of.

I looked up at him, "You can handle it, right?"

He shifter, "Martigan couldn't. I'll never be his match and he lost an arm and a foot trying to destroy a young male. What we have here is an old female. Bitter, cruel, and clever. The four of us might hold her off. Conquer her, no."

He was shaking. He gripped his drum so tight it started creaking. I shifted uneasily, 'old female, umm how could he be so sure?" my thoughts died as Silent glances at he- telling me not to pursue the conversation.

Beryn's streets remained as starkly silent as those of a city overthrown, but chaos died.

Spider, Perump, and Toad tracked the monster. Feeding the hunger of an age, the thing only seemed to function on a purely animal level. The factions besieged the Syndic with demands for protection.

Captain wasted to time.

"Our situation is grim," he paced tirelessly. "Beryn is demanding a new Syndic… they've asked for the Company to step aside."

Somewhat of a moral dilemma.

Captain continued, "We're stubborn and tough. We honor our commitments the best we can, but we don't die for lost causes."

Questioning his unspoken proposition, I protested, I'm very traditional… except for the whole women are inferior thing.

"Rin, the question of survival of the Company is the one of the table."

"Captain we've taken the gold, it's honor that's the question. For centuries the Company has met the letter of it's commissions. Consider the Annals, even during the Revolt of the Chilins."

"You consider it, Rin."

"I stand on my right as a free soldier."

I was irritated. I felt Silent come up beside me; it was obvious that not everyone agreed with me.

Lieutenant nodded his head, "Rin had the right to speak."

He was more of a traditionalist than I. This action took Silent by surprise I could tell, for the longest time he'd get into glaring matches with Lieutenant cause I was a women.

I talked for a while, but half of me did want to sell out.

"Are you finished yet, Rin?"

I sighed, "Fine if you can find a loop hole, yeah I'll go along with it."

Perump mocked me with a drum roll.

Toad chuckled, "Leave that all up to Token, after all he was a lawyer, that is before he found a better job in pimping."

Token took the bait, "I was a lawyer? Your mother was a lawyer's-"

"Enough!" Captain cut him off with a large fist on the table.

"Rin gave the ok, go with it, find the out."

The others looked relieved, even Lieutenant. My opinion, as Annalist and physician, carried more weight than I liked.

Silent was really close by, I shifted the room was really crowded.

"An obvious out is the termination of the Syndic… In our battered state, who could blame us if an assassin slipped past?"

Perump gave me another drum roll, "You've got a disgusting turn of mind, Rin."

I looked at him in irritation, "Well we would maintain the appearance of honor. We do fail as often as not."

Captain's face broke out into a grin, "I like it. Ok, let's break this up before Syndic asks what's up. Perump, you stay, I've got a job for you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three: Mounting Tension

As soon as night fell the air filled with screams of pain, agony, and redemption.

A cold wind roared in off the coast, chased by massive storm clouds. It came and hit Beryn fast, sheets of rain down poured. In the mornings light Beryn seemed like a new city; cold, clean, and almost civilized.

"Enlighten me, Rin. What's it like out there."

I sniffed, I'd been sent to scout the city. "Nothing like I've ever seen before, It's plague alright. The ankouze must be the vector." Captain looked me over with tiny slits for eyes. I sighed, "Medical jargon. A vector is a carrier.

Captain growled in frustration, "Perump? You know this beast."

"All of us that went into the tomb are still healthy, I've never heard of one spreading any kind of disease."

I hated to be the voice of reason, "The carrier doesn't matter, the plague does. It'll get worse if people don't start burning the bodies."

I broke the silence that engulfed us, "There's been talk about another riot. They're on the edge of another explosion."

"How soon?" Captain asked.

"Two days maybe…three at the most."

Captain's frustration mounted, our tight spot was getting tighter. He's teeth grounded into his already bloody lip.

"We've got to-" A troop busted through the door, "There's a mob at the gate. They have a ram."

"Let's go," Captain huffed.

It didn't take long to disperse them. Few pots of hot water and they fled, showering us with curses and insults.

Night fell; I stayed out on the wall watching the touches roam the city. Developing a nervous system, the mob was evolving. If it developed a leader with wit we'd find our selves caught in a revolution.

It would not come tonight I realized as the torches eventually diminished. If the heat and the humidity became too oppressive, maybe tomorrow.

Terror filled me as I heard a scratching to my right. Then scrapings and clawing; soft, soft but still there. It was approaching, I became like the gargoyles perched over the gate, motionless. The breeze gave way to an artic wind.

Something came over the north parapet. Red eyes, four legs, as black as night. It moved as fluidly as a mountain spring. It scampered down the stair into the courtyard, vanished.

The little girl in me wanted to screech at the top of my lungs and run to the nearest male and hold on for dear life. It was awfully tempting to just run into Spider's arms, he was the closest thing to a father figure I had. I took a deep breath in trying to remain cool. I fled towards the nearest door, took a protested route to Captain's quarters, I just walked in too rattled to knock.

He had his hands behind his head; staring at the ceiling, straighten out on his cot. One single, feeble candle illuminated the room as shadows danced on the bared walls.

"The ankouze is here. I just saw it come over the wall," my voice had turned into a high pitch squeak.

He just grunted. "Didn't you hear me!" I can't believe that he wasn't at least a little afraid. "I heard you, Rin. Leave me alone." I backed toward the door, "Yes sir."

So, it was eating him up. A scream suddenly pierced the air, it was loud, long, hopeless, and filled with fear.

It came from Syndic's quarters. I jumped to full alert, drew my sword, charged through the door- crashed into Jim. Jim fell down, I stood over him- I caught the frame of the door so I wouldn't fall on him.

There were more chilling cries from Syndic's quarters.

"Get in here Rin!" Captain ordered. "Want to get yourself killed?"

Captain got my attention. I grabbed Jim by the front of his shirt and yanked him inside. We bolted the door, I stood with my back against it, closed my eyes, panting. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I heard a growl as it paddled past. Jim's face lost it's color, "What now?" His hands were shaking.

I shifted uneasily, starting to wonder where Silent was, he always comforted me and protected me- he could keep me together.

Some one pounded heavily on the door. "What?" Captain now was somewhat afraid. "Open up, it's Toad."

I opened the door, breathing in relief as Toad, Perump, Token, Spider, a dozen others, and thank god Silent pushed inside. The room got hot fast and moving room came less. Silent pushed through the men and stood close by me, that man made me feel a lot better.

An arm went around my waist, "Don't worry I'm here to protect you," a familiar voice purred in my ear. I shivered, but I couldn't look back cause I was being held so tight. I saw Silent glance over at me in the corner of my eye. Seeing that I looked quiet annoyed, I saw him shift his body in my direction.

-Smack-

I felt Garit let go of me and Silent pulled me closer to him. I pressed my face in Silent's shoulder trying to suppress my giggle. I looked up and saw Silent's eyes flicker with amusement. I looked over at Garit, it was the same old story. Unlike everyone else Garit just couldn't leave me alone. Spider always dragged him away and told him firmly to behave or just leave me alone as did the others, but Silent.

Silent seemed to enjoy watching Garit dance around with his hands on his head. Silent smiled at me and watched Garit twitch from the pain of his newly found injury.

"Damn it Silent why you always got to hit me!" Garit groaned. Silent was silent as usual, but grinned at Garit. Garit's eyes grew into slits, turning to me, "Why's he hit me?" pointing at Silent.

"Because your hand were not where they out (ah t) to be."

Garit sniffed arrogantly, "Yeah, but you're me woman."

I didn't find this funny and it was obvious that Silent didn't find it funny either. Silent moved more in front of me and scowled at him.

"I am not in anyway you're girl!" Silent turned to me with a proud grin on his face, but he did see Garit give me an arrogant yet loving smirk.

"The vampire wolf is here, Captain." Perump said shaken, forgetting about his annoying drum roll he usually did.

Another scream came from Syndic's quarters. "What are we going to do?" Toad asked.

He was no bigger then his brother who possessed a bizarre sense of humor. He was two years older then Perump, both were over a hundred, but at their age no one was counting. He was terrified, Perump was on the edge of hysteria, both Token and Spider were also rocky.

"It can just pick us off one by one."

"Can it be killed?"

"They're almost invincible, Captain."

"Can they be killed?" Captain had a hard edge to his voice this time, he too was afraid. Toad seemed a hair less scared then Perump, "Yes," he confessed. Toad sniffed, "Nothings invulnerable… But this is strong, fast, clever, and cunning. Weapons like swords are of little avail. Even sorcery isn't of much use, it is a little better."

I became very uncomfortable, Toad of all people never admitted to any limitations.

"Enough talk," Captain growled, "It's time for some action." Captain was a difficult man to figure out, but at the moment he was transparent. He was filled with rage and frustration about our situation with the ankouze.

Perump and Toad strongly protested. Captain looked at them, "You've been _thinking_ about this since ya found out about it being loose, you decided what you'd do if you had to. Let's do it."

Another scream, the night almost didn't seem right without them now. "The Rose Tower must be a real slaughter house, that thing is hunting down everybody up there." I muttered more to myself then anyone, but Silent paid attention.

Captain strapped on his weapons, for a moment I thought Spider and even Silent would protest. "Ken, assemble the men. Seal all the openings to the Rose Tower. Bo, pick some good crossbow men and hand combat people. This conflict will be dangerous."

Time flew by too easily and almost unnoticed. After twenty minutes I looked up nervously at Silent who wasn't about to leave my side. I had lost count of the horrifying screams. I stared thinking, why did the ankouze insist on being here? It's hunt persisted, more then hunger drove it that I was sure of.

All four wizards collaborated on the spell that proceeded us. The hand combat troops followed with the crossbow men behind them into Syndic's quarters.

I shifted it was weird the chamber looked perfectly normal, nothing out of place. Toad cocked his head in attention, "It's upstairs."

Captain faced the passage behind us, "Ken, bring your men inside." He planned to room by room, cutting off all exits, but one for retreat. Toad and Perump however did not agree with this tactic. They tried telling Captain that animals of any kind were most dangerous when cornered. Silence surrounded us, it was almost unbearable. There was nothing for several minutes, no cries, no blood curdling screams, just silence.

We found the first victim at the bade of the stairs that lead into Rose Tower. I felt sick, "One of ours." Syndic was quite a coward, he had surrounded himself with as many men from the Company as humanly possible.

"Sleeping quarters?" "Upstairs" I'd never been inside Rose Tower.

Captain nodded, "Kitchen, servants, storage are all on two levels, then family, the Syndic himself. Study and Offices at the Top."

I examined the body. My stomach twisted into a knot. "Not quite like the ones at the tomb, Perump? Why didn't it take the blood or organs?"

Neither Toad nor Perump had an answer.

Captain twisted his neck around peering into the shadows above," Now it gets tricky. Combat troops; take it slow, one step at a time. Crossbows, space yourselves a little behind, shoot anything that moves. Toad, run your spell ahead. Asses and elbows people, look alive, swords out."

I took a deep breath, my medical pack clapping at my side as we walked in silence. Silent put a reassuring hand on my shoulder as I drew my sword. I vaguely heard Garit mumble something about Silent touching his woman. I smiled inwardly; I wanted to hug him, he strangely made me less nervous in the already tense situation we were plunging into.

Fear hung heavy on the air. The floorboards creaked under our feet. Quang A man accidentally discharged his crossbow. Captain spit and grumbled.

There wasn't a damn thing to see. We moved to the servant's quarters. I felt worse then before, I'd seen the terrors of war, but this was pure carnage.

Blood slashed the walls, furniture shredded and wrecked, bodies in pieces laid everywhere. There are hard men in the Company, but even the hardest were moved, some to anger, fear, sadness, or became sick.

Lieutenant stepped up, "Captain, I'm getting the rest of the Company. This thing an't getting away." Captain just nodded.

A scream sounded above. It was like the creature was trying to taunt us, daring us to come further towards it.

The more rooms we came across it somehow found a way to make it look worse. The carnage, the spilled blood it only got worse.

Suddenly Perump jerked, the ankouze was nearby. The combat troops crouched down ready, the crossbow men aimed ready at shadows. All four wizards stopped, intently listened to the creature in the dark shadows. Then, "It's waiting, don't give it an opening. Be careful."

I knew it was a dumb question, but I had to ask, "Shouldn't we be carrying silver weapons, crosses, holy water, or something?" Perump looked at me and shook his head. "No. Hell you kill them same as you kill anything else. Bit hit harder and faster, every shot you get counts."

The wizards tried an enchantment. An angry roar came from the shadows a head, followed by scrapes of claws, something moved, arrows flew. Another roar, it was mocking us.

We eased into the darkness, tension mounting. Blood and torn bodies made the footing treacherous.

The Ankouze yowled not twenty feet away. Right there with us.


End file.
